


kairos

by Niriiun



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: M/M, Original au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-15
Updated: 2015-08-19
Packaged: 2018-04-08 20:59:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4320480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Niriiun/pseuds/Niriiun
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hanamaki works as both security guard and something much darker at one of Tokyo's richest laboratories. Life has finally started looking up for him. That is, until the man he loves becomes his next target.</p><p>An original AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. anachronism

**Author's Note:**

> first off, thanks for wanting to read this fic! [at least, I hope you do ;v;] 
> 
> I just wanna note that all the third years are 24, the second years are 23, and the first years are 22! and if not that old then those are the general ages unless otherwise stated! I hope you enjoy!!

"Another."

Hanamaki sent the empty glass down on the counter, the ice swirling for a moment. It was his easily his seventh drink that night. While the bar didn't mind, his job certainly wouldn't thank him the next day.

The man behind the counter raised a brow. He was a bit taller than Hanamaki and seemed to have a permanent grin. He went by the name Matsukawa, and Hanamaki had met him weeks ago during his first visit. Matsukawa was the main bartender here and from what Hanamaki had seen, the man did his job well. And luckily enough, the night was pretty slow.

"Already? Was it a bad day at work?" The bartender complied easily, pouring a simple shot of gin into the glass. This bar seen a lot of customers but Hanamaki was the only person he'd seen drink gin without mixing it. Gin was bitter and tasted just like how a pine tree smelled; Matsukawa couldn't see the appeal.

Hanamaki raised his glass and downed the liquid in one go. He set it down a little harder than usual before running a hand down his face. "Yeah. One of the guys I work with collapsed today. He's not doing so well." One finger pushed the glass forward but he didn't ask for another. Hanamaki wasn't that close with the guy but he admired his work ethic, even if he was a flirt and a joker. He never seemed to know when to give up either; he pushed himself to exhaustion more often than not. There was an intense air around him at all times, and Hanamaki was silently glad he worked with him.

Oikawa Tooru was a mystery he couldn't ever seem to figure out.

Matsukawa picked up the heavy object, immediately going about cleaning it. "Did he over work himself? It can't be easy guarding the lab."

"He's actually one of the scientists there." Maybe that was too much to say but Hanamaki was just drunk enough that he didn't care. He worked as a security guard for one of Tokyo's best science departments. It wasn't easy work, especially with two or three attempted break-ins and vandalism attempts a week, but Hanamaki enjoyed his job. He was damn good at it too.

"His research is going smoothly. Apparently he's close to a major discovery, which means more work for me."

The bartender filled the freshly-cleaned glass and slid it forwards; he knew Hanamaki's drinking habits by now. Hanamaki took it gratefully but didn't drink it yet. He stared at Matsukawa's mouth for a moment, squinting at the man's usual always-smirking lips. Matsukawa's eyes seemed distant and something in them sparked. It lasted only a second but Hanamaki didn't miss it.

"What kind of discovery?" The question seemed a bit forced.

Hanamaki kept going, however. "He's really close to finding the last two things he needs. Oikawa finds what we need and I go fetch it."

"Mm, sounds fun." Matsukawa's expression didn't change though. It rarely did; sometimes it was hard to tell what he was thinking.

With a small frown, Hanamaki finally lifted the glass. The gin was gone within seconds and he choked a bit as it went down. After a round of coughing and a few tears, he shoved the glass away. By that time the bar was pretty empty, save for a few workers and two or three customers. Hanamaki rested his elbows on the counter and leaned forwards.

"Hey Matsukawa ... Are you free tonight too?"

The bartender finished cleaning the plate in his hands. "That's a stupid question and you know it."

"Kinda drunk here." He raised a hand in a mock toast.

Matsukawa sighed, sliding the plate onto a shelf. "I'll be done in thirty minutes. You know where my room is; try not to fall down the stairs."  
Just for that comment, Hanamaki made a point to trip at least halfway up them.

\---

The bartender's apartment was located six floors above the bar. Hanamaki was always drunk whenever he came here so the looks of it never really stuck with him. He did remember tan carpets and white walls though. They weren't colours he found appealing but it was an apartment; you couldn't really change the decor without asking for permission. And who the hell put bright purple curtains on the windows? They didn't fit at all. 

Hanamaki made himself comfortable, sinking into the cream-coloured couch. He'd spent many a night on the plush piece of furniture. If he wasn't so excited for what was about to come he probably could've fallen asleep there. Matsukawa never did like that though.

His eyes drooped a bit as the object of his thoughts wandered inside, tugging at the tie around his neck. 

"Leave it on." His voice was already lower and Matsukawa complied without complaint, letting his hands drop back to his sides. Hanamaki motioned for him to come over to the couch and the bartender complied, dragging his feet a little.

He reached up for Matsukawa's tie and wrapped it within his fingers, yanking the other man's face down to his level. For a moment he simply admired, taking in his thin frame and that expensive uniform. Although the uniform was nice, he looked even better without it on; Hanamaki would get to that soon. Their first kiss was gentle, barely a peck. The second conveyed just how stressed out Hanamaki was over Oikawa. [Which was the main reason he had even visited the bar tonight.]

Matsukawa's tongue dipped into his mouth, exploring places he had known for weeks. Hanamaki was tempted to nibble a bit but refrained himself. The dark-haired male had always been the better kisser and he seemed to flaunt that whenever he could. He pulled back to get a breath, whispering, "You taste like pine needles," before going back in. Their kisses were usually sloppy and Matsukawa always lost a few hairs in the process but tonight ... Tonight was different.

His hands wandered, tugging at whatever bits of cloth he could find. Hanamaki wasn't being much help - he never usually was in these moments - but Matsukawa ended up in just his boxers anyway. "White briefs don't suit you," he grumbled.

A brow rose before the other man's gaze flicked down. "At least I wear them."

Hanamaki grinned. "What can I say; they're too restricting."

The bartender huffed quietly before padding away, presumably to locate their bottle of lube. He used the moment to drag himself off the couch and strip. Hanamaki shoved his clothes into the corner with his foot, swaying from all the alcohol in his system. Not that he cared of course; a good buzz was perfect for sex. When he turned around, Matsukawa was seated neatly on the couch. He'd probably never understand why he was so obsessed with order. Maybe it was something that came with being a bartender? Oh well, Hanamaki didn't have time for that right now. There were more ... _important_ things to tend to.

Matsukawa's small frown shifted back into that smirk of his and Hanamaki was in front of him in seconds. Maybe it was moving a little fast but they were so used to doing this that the pace didn't really matter. 

For a second he simply admired, taking in the man that had become his own. His skin had always been dark, a nice contrast to the couch he was currently sitting on. Dark hair, dark eyes, and beautiful skin - this was one of those times Hanamaki was grateful for the light colour scheme in his apartment.

Hanamaki's eyes narrowed slightly. "You know what to do," he mumbled.

His partner wasted no time, those thin fingers wrapping around his dick without hesitation. Matsukawa's years of mixing drinks had worn rough patches into his skin, something he used to his advantage. Hanamaki let out a breath as their eyes met, the man between his legs dragging his hands agonizingly over his sensitive shaft. But Matsukawa's hands weren't the only thing he had going for him. The man had a longer than average tongue, something else he flaunted whenever he got the chance. And Hanamaki _loved_ it.

Hanamaki wasn't prepared for that tongue pressing against the head of his cock. An involuntary groan escaped his throat, the man's fingers twitching at his sides. He raised one and gripped Matsukawa's hair. Their eyes stayed connected as those smirking lips sucked on his slit. Matsukawa's tongue worked at it, rough and insistent against him; he showed no mercy. He fought the urge to thrust as his partner's tongue slid against the underside of his cock, the warmth driving him mad. It didn't help that Matsukawa had begun stroking him as well, his other hand sliding to his ass and _squeezing._

He let out a breathless moan. _"Jesus, Issei."_

The name spurred him on. Matsukawa's teeth scraped against his dick, Hanamaki letting his head fall back. The noise that escaped him seemed to come straight from his chest, and he was certain if the bartender could smirk he'd be doing it right now. That tongue gave him barely a moment to collect himself, running over and over again over his sensitive skin. Matsukawa wasn't too heartless though and pulled off. He opted for pressing gentle kisses to the light-haired man's thigh. 

Hanamaki let his hand slide to the side of Matsukawa's face, petting his cheek lightly. "Spread out on the couch." 

The bartender complied without a sound. He pressed his back against the arm of the couch, hooking his hands in the crooks of his knees. Matsukawa held himself open for his partner to stare down at. A shiver ran down Hanamaki's spine at the sight before him. The other man's face was a bit flushed, his chest rising a falling faster than usual. Hanamaki pried his eyes away to search for the bottle of lube, silently glad Matsukawa was so organized. It was neatly placed on the table along with a few towels.

He squeezed a bit onto the pads of his fingers, the slimy feeling never being one of his favourites. It worked for what they needed though and left them both with little to no pain. The viscous liquid was cold to the touch and judging from the way Matsukawa jumped it was even colder to him.

"Warm it up first you ass."

"Oh my, swearing already? You're so _impolite-,_ " Hanamaki accentuated the word by shoving two fingers in without warning, "-when it's just us."

Matsukawa sucked in a sharp breath, his muscles pushing against Hanamaki's fingers for a moment. The light-haired man's smirk returned. Their pace was usually quick and fast, with barely any words or even breath in between, but something about tonight seemed ... different. So he took it slow, curling his fingers up and stroking. Hanamaki used his free hand to trace gentle circles on his partner's stomach. Tremors went through the body beneath him, faint gasps escaping Matsukawa's lips. He added a third finger, feeling the muscles around them contract as they sucked him in. 

"I'm off the clock right now." The phrase was a bit unexpected; he liked the tiny moan that followed those words.

"Oh? I'm a customer too, Issei." Hanamaki's face didn't change. Matsukawa's back arched at the sound of his name. Very rarely did he hear it, and it was only in these grasped moments he did. The way Hanamaki said it was so fucking _dirty_ and it wasn't even intended to come across that way. Hanamaki just had one of those natural sex voices. He used that to his advantage as well. 

His movements had been random at first but his focus shifted into finding a certain spot. The sensitivity of it varied from man to man, and Hanamaki was lucky enough to be dating one with a sensitive as fuck prostate. 

"M-maki." The gasp of his name was enough indication of his search proving fruitful. Curling his fingers slightly, he angled them and _pushed._ A high-pitched keen graced his ears, the sound barely fitting the dark-haired man shaking on the couch. It was a sound Hanamaki adored.

He kept his fingers there and watched Matsukawa twist and pull at the couch cushions for a moment. Those dark eyes were screwed tightly shut, his skin stretched taut. The sweat beaded along his chest and face brought a rush of pride; he was the one making him look like that. "Maki please." The plea was breathless. Hanamaki wasn't feeling too mean though and moved his fingers away. He did go agonizingly slow as he pulled them out, however.

Matsukawa took a moment to collect himself before rolling to his feet. He picked up the bottle from where Hanamaki had tossed it; he could nearly hear the lecture that didn't come. "Sit back."

Hanamaki did so, leaning back into the soft cushions. His dick twitched at the thought of the other man riding him. It'd been a while since they'd done it like this and he was sure the excited was showing, even with his near-expressionless face. A shiver ran down his spine as he watched Matsukawa grab him with a lube-slick hand. The bartender's other hand shifted to his ass, probably slicking himself up a bit as well. Hanamaki moaned as some of it dripped onto the floor. "Hurry up, Issei."

The man in front of him huffed but complied all the same. Really, Hanamaki was the spoiled one here. Knees slid against his own as Matsukawa settled him a bit above his lap, the other man's dick sliding against his own. A hand wrapped around him once more to line them up and within seconds the tip of his dick was taken in by twitching warmth. Matsukawa sighed, the exhale shaky and uneven, before sliding down a little further. He clenched a bit and Hanamaki let out a hiss of pleasure. Moments of heavy breathing later and his partner finally took him all the way in. The muscles around his dick trembled as they adjusted and the dark-haired man moaned right into his ear.

"F-fuck, _Maki ..._ "

"That's kind of the point." That little jab earned him a squeeze, wringing a growl from his throat.

Hanamaki raised his hands and settled them on Matsukawa's hips. The bones jutted against his fingers; if they weren't about to have sex he'd probably get on his case about eating more. But that was on the bottom of his list of important things at the moment. He let him hang there for a moment before sliding him back down, feeling Matsukawa's hands clench slightly on his shoulders. Hanamaki rocked him in his lap, the bartender whining and moaning in his ear. 

The quiet _pleases_ and _oh gods_ whispered against his skin awakened a fire in him. Hanamaki wrapped his arms around Matsukawa's waist to hold him better and began thrusting. His pace was hard and fast and from the sound of it, Matsukawa didn't mind too much. Warmth surged in his body, Hanamaki finishing quickly this time. He slowed his thrusting to a gentle rock of his hips, curling his a hand around his lover's dick. He pumped him slowly before Matsukawa nudged his hands off.

Dark eyes, flooding with a hazy lust, met his own. The fingers on his shoulders curled once more as Matsukawa took over the effort part, rising and falling at an almost unnatural pace. Very rarely, if ever, did their orgasms synchronize; it was no surprise it took another five minutes for Matsukawa to finish.

The bartender collapsed against his chest, breathing warm air onto his neck. Hanamaki lazily draped an arm across his back and pulled him closer. "You're beautiful, Issei." His words fell on deaf ears. Matsukawa was already out.

He smiled slightly, just the faintest curl of his lips, and kissed the other man's forehead. "Lets get you cleaned up."

\---

Hanamaki was woken up by the sound of his phone ringing.

He stumbled blindly out of bed and crawled towards the lit up screen in the corning of the room; the call was from his work. The man yawned and answered, nearly falling over as he left the room to talk. "It's almost four in the morning; this better be important," he grumbled.

!- Takahiro it's me, Hajime. I need you to come to work quick. -!

Hanamaki groaned, running a hand down his face. "I'm still slightly buzzed; I can't drive."

!- You were drinking? Is it that bartender again? -! Iwaizumi didn't give him a chance to reply. !- Nevermind, just get here quick. We have a situation. -!

That grabbed his attention. "Is it Oikawa?"

!- No, but we made a discovery. We found the name of our guy. -!

A rush of adrenaline ran down his body. "I'll be there in a moment."

Hanamaki hung up, letting his arm drop to his side. This was what they'd been waiting for. Without wasting a second, he immediately ran to get dressed. Matsukawa was sitting up in bed when he reached the room. Those eyes were fixated on him and for a moment, he felt fear run through him at the intensity. "Something came up at work; I've gotten run."

At first Matsukawa didn't answer, simply staring at him. Finally he broke his silence. "Was there a security breach?"

He shimmied into his shirt. "Something like that. I can't really say. You're not mad right?"

"Of course not. Work is work and that lab is important right? I understand."

Hanamaki slid his phone into his pocket and straighten out his pants. He wandered over to the bed and placed a kiss to Matsukawa's forehead, feeling him tremble a little at the touch. "I'll call you when I'm done okay?" The man didn't move until he got the nod of approval, racing out the door.

\---

As soon as Hanamaki was out of the room Matsukawa was immediately up. His thoughts were racing and his heart pounding in his chest. He needed to leave as soon as possible. The normally easygoing man hurried throughout his home, gathering what little he needed. This was something he was used to by now but this time was different. Matsukawa had just enough thought left to write a quick note, leaving it on the table. He paused to stare at the apartment he'd called home for nearly four years. 

This might be the last time he saw it.

Taking a deep breath, he left the room. The door swung shut behind him and then Matsukawa was gone.

\---

Hanamaki had never arrived at his workplace so quickly in his entire time working there. The on-duty guard waved him through and he quickly ran through the building. This was what they'd been waiting for. Fifty years of struggling had led up to this moment. Iwaizumi and Oikawa had only joined the project five years ago but some of their biggest breakthroughs were thanks to the pair. The lab probably wouldn't still be standing without them.

It was buzzing with activity when he reached the main experimentation room. Iwaizumi was hunched over one of the holographic projectors; from where he was standing it looked like he was rubbing his face.

"Hajime."

The scientist immediately perked up at the sound of his voice. An old journal was gripped tightly in his right hand. At one point the leather had been a bright red, but years of gripping it had worn and faded the colour to a dull brown. Several pieces of paper were poking out of the top and the bottom of the old pages. "Takahiro, we finally know their name. I finally decoded it."

As excited as Hanamaki was he didn't like the dark bags under Iwaizumi's eyes. He'd leave that for a little later though and wandered over. "Is it just a name or is there more?" Hanamaki was itching to know but Iwaizumi had a ... _way_ he liked to do things, to put it lightly.

"There's more, there's more. As everyone knows, the beings we're looking for aren't make believe. We have three of them here already. We're just missing their leader, if you can even call them that, and the fourth one. I only managed to decode a page but it has given us much useful information." The shorter man motioned for him to follow; he spoke as they walked.

"The page I could read spoke about old empires like the Ottoman and even some of the Chinese Dynasties being guided by these people. Their ability to see the future helped predict the outcomes of battles and quests across the land. That probably explains why many of these people ended up faltering and falling into decline. Without a Seeker to see their future, whether they died because of old age, murder, or disease, they could no longer rule like they used to." Iwaizumi's eyes were lit up in wonder. Hanamaki had to admit, that was pretty cool, but he didn't really care about the past aspect of it all. 

"It gets better. Back when this journal was written, nearly three-hundred years ago, there used to be many more Seekers. They weren't limited to just four and their leader. There used to be hundreds of them, all living around the world. Their population fit right in with us. I haven't gotten far enough to know what exactly happened, but something changed and their numbers went from hundreds to a mere five. How sad that must've been ..." 

The beings Iwaizumi was speaking of were humans born with special abilities. They were called Seekers, and all shared the power to see into the future. Through their years upon years of research, they discovered that trained Seekers could control their power to a specific point. Everything down to the exact day, the type of weather, even what time it was. Very rarely, if ever though, did a Seeker live past the age of fourteen. Iwaizumi, as well as his predecessors, had learned that the hard way. Seekers were easily singled out and died very early in their life.

The future sight wasn't the reason they were searching for Seekers, however. There was something else, something much more mythical, they were after. Iwaizumi had taken to simply calling it The Door. It was a gateway to the heavens, a way to cross over to the other side. From what fifty years of translating the old journal in Iwaizumi's hands had revealed, passing through it and returning in one piece granted a human eternal life. Whether it was true or not was yet to be discovered. 

The branch that Iwaizumi ran was simply called Dwell. Their only objective were to round up the Seekers and try to open this gateway no matter what it took. Hanamaki worked as a security guard for that organization.

"I know it's a long shot but maybe you can dig something up about him. Their leader's name is ..."

\---

By the time Matsukawa reached his destination it had begun to rain. His entire body was soaked in water. It took all the effort he had left to reached up and knock on the wooden door in front of him. For a minute or two he feared no one was coming. The rain above didn't stop, pouring down upon his body. At last the door creaked, and a small bell rang as it opened slightly.

"Ah ... I didn't think I'd see you on my doorstep so quickly." The voice was smooth and level; it matched the person it belonged to perfectly.

"The time has come." Matsukawa coughed a bit as he tried to catch his breath.

The man hidden behind the door sighed softly. "I know. I can see the future just as well as you."

"Then you know they deciphered more."

There was a pause before the door finally swung open. "It won't be much longer. I hope you're ready for the inevitable war. It's time to be the leader you were created to be."

"I know."

\---

"... Matsukawa Issei. That's his name."

Hanamaki's blood ran cold.

His only thought was _shit._


	2. sisyphean

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> waa this took forever I apologize! luckily I found a new way to get my writing motivation back so the new chapter should hopefully be up fairly quickly! sorry this is so short!!

He wasn't surprised Matsukawa was gone when he arrived.

The man had left in a hurry. A few crackers had been knocked on the floor, a bottle of spices had shattered near the stove. Matsukawa had wasted no time in tearing out of the apartment. 

He found the note on the counter almost immediately. _I'm sorry, Hanamaki._ There was a soft grunt before he crumpled the paper in his hand.

Hanamaki's eyes narrowed. There were so many questions he had. If Matsukawa could see the future, if he could predict everything that was to happen, why had he stayed with Hanamaki? Surely it was no secret the man would one day catch him. Or maybe he didn't. He shook his head free of those thoughts. "No, I _have_ to catch him."

It didn't sit right with him that Matsukawa would just allow this to happen. Hanamaki ignored the stab of pain in his chest and went about exploring.

He was sure Matsukawa had taken everything inclusive with him. Any books, journals, maps, all of them were probably gone. That didn't stop him from scouring every little corner of the apartment he could reach. His investigating took a total of forty minutes. Normally Hanamaki would set up a camera to watch and wait for his target's return but if Matsukawa truly was a Seeker, there would be no way he'd come back here; it wasn't smart.

Hanamaki let the door click shut. For a few moments he simply stared at it, his eyes tracing the wood. The man sighed but knew he couldn't let this stop him. A quick trip to the bar downstairs revealed that Matsukawa had, in fact, tore out of here. No one knew which direction he'd taken though, leaving Hanamaki back at square one.

Hunting down Matsukawa had never been something he'd thought he'd be doing, and Hanamaki had to ignore the little voice screaming _this is wrong!_ in the back of his head.

_This is for Oikawa, _he reminded himself. It didn't stop the guilt he was feeling though.__

\---

Matsukawa stared blankly at the rain falling just outside the window. The sound was gentle, soothing his beating heart a little. Never in a million years had he thought this game of cat and mouse would end up being between someone he loved and himself. It wasn't something he'd ever wanted to go through either.

"You'll get wrinkles if you keep staring like that."

His head tilted back a little to see his host in the doorway. Akaashi Keiji was a calm man, his clear eyes and welcoming appearance making him a force to be reckoned with. The man usually kept his expression resting in disinterest, but anyone that knew him knew just how easy it was for him to get into the things he loved. And Matsukawa had known him for a very long time.

"Wrinkles are the least of my worries, Akaashi."

The man wandered into the room, taking a seat in the chair opposite his guest. He lifted the cup of coffee grasped between his fingers and took a sip. "That should be your _only_ worry," the man murmured.

Matsukawa smiled weakly. "Our world doesn't work like that, unfortunately."

Their world was fight or flight, life or death; it was a cruel station in life to be placed in.

Akaashi joined him in staring out the window, watching the rain patter against the glass. The man took a sip of his coffee, Matsukawa watching him from the corner of his eye. This was the first time they'd seen each other in nearly ten years. Akaashi looked weary, his eyes filled with the ages of knowledge they'd both lived through. Aside from Matsukawa, Akaashi was the oldest Seeker alive to this day. He'd seen his fair share of wars and death.

"... They have the other three already. We're the last two they need to begin the process."

Matsukawa looked down to his hands. "All of this was bound to happen eventually. We can't let them stay there." He rose to his full height, holding out a hand to Akaashi. His palm began to glow a gentle orange. "I ask that you stand with me on this, Akaashi. I'm not going to sugar coat things either. This could very well be our last adventure together."

Akaashi offered a gentle smile. "I wouldn't miss it for the world." He raised a hand as well, a strange yellow light curling like flame down his arm and onto his fingers. The man grasped Matsukawa's hand, the two colours melding together and burning brightly between them.

Matsukawa stepped away, looking back out the window. "I have to gather a few things; it'll be a good two days before we can just charge right in. I'll leave finding an entrance to you alright?"

The man seated in the chair stood up as well. "You're talking to the world's number one hacker. Don't worry; I'll find us a way inside."

He dipped his head and turned to go towards the door; a hand against his arm stopped him, however. Matsukawa looked back to Akaashi's face, his eyes level and calm. "I have a few questions for you though before you vanish into the night." Akaashi took another sip of his coffee.

"Alright, alright; I'll sit down." Matsukawa had a pretty good idea where this conversation was going but he allowed it to happen.

Akaashi took another drink, probably finishing off the rest of his coffee. The cup clinked rather loudly against the table behind him. "I can see the future as well as you can and even I predicted this outcome. You know I check up on you from time to time. Hanamaki Takahiro is his name right? Surely you knew he was working for them."

Ah ... there it was. The man looked away but didn't answer.

"You didn't purposely go down a path of self-destruction again did you." It wasn't even a question; more a statement, really.

Matsukawa laughed bitterly but he didn't answer, instead turning his focus back to the world outside. The clouds continued to cry, and his heart clenched in pain.

\---

Tsukishima watched as Iwaizumi tapped his pen against the clipboard in his hand. The sound was getting a bit monotonous, echoing throughout the room in the most unpleasant way.

"Will you knock that off?"

A pair of eyes flicked towards the blond. They were more inquisitive than angry. "You've been here three months and that's the first thing I've heard you say."

He huffed, recrossing his arms. "It's not a big deal."

Tsukishima's eyes flicked between Iwaizumi and the small room they were currently in. This little room had become his home the last few months. It was completely white, with an uncomfortable bed and a door in the back that led to a tiny restroom. There were a few books scattered about the floor, joined by a dinosaur or two. This place wasn't home.

"Why do you ignore me when I ask you questions?"

The blond's face shifted into a 'are you serious?' look. "You snatch me from my home and dump me into solitary confinement for three months and you're really wondering why I'm being quiet? I should've looked far enough ahead to see this happen."

Iwaizumi scribbled something on his clipboard. "We're not trying to be rude to you people or anything. Keeping you locked up isn't what we wanted either."

Tsukishima didn't respond to that.

"We're just trying to ... find a way to make all this work, really."

"What is there to _make work?_ It doesn't take much imagination to know that we're locked in here like animals and you're out there staring at us under a microscope."

Iwaizumi sighed, lowering his arms. "Listen, Tsukishima. This project, this attempt to gather the Seekers. It's all for a good cause, I assure you."

Tsukishima's eyes glowed in anger. "I've glimpsed ahead. Don't try to fool me."

The black-haired man trotted over to the door. "These walls are specially designed to cancel out your powers. You have no idea what's coming in the near future."

He was left in that room of white, staring at the place Iwaizumi was once standing. For the first time in his life, he was afraid of the future.

\---

"I heard you translated a little more."

Iwaizumi was broken from his wandering thoughts by the voice of none other than Oikawa Tooru. The man was currently bedridden, resting against white sheets. He looked so small wrapped up in them. That smile was still there though, bright and a little annoying to look at.

"Yeah. The name of their leader."

Oikawa burned a little too brightly. "Ah, Iwa-chan! You're gonna take all the credit!"

Iwaizumi dropped the clipboard against the other man's head. There was a whine almost immediately.

"Hush. You've helped just as much as I have with this project. Don't forget most of this is for you too."

"I know, I know."

Iwaizumi didn't miss the look in Oikawa's eyes.

"In other news, we found out more about The Door as well. Turns out it doesn't have a set location. The leader of these people can summon it at will whenever and wherever they may need it." There was something else as well but he didn't want to burden Oikawa with that information. Not yet.

"That makes things easier on us then, huh?"

Iwaizumi pulled the journal out of his bag and flipped to a page marked with a pink sticky note. He pointed at one of the passages he'd succeeded in translating. "Unfortunately you have to take the journey alone, so you better not make all this trouble go to waste."

"That's mean, Iwa-chan! I'm not a waste!"

His eyes slid up to Oikawa's face; he looked a little paler than usual. Iwaizumi sighed. "I'm gonna head back to the lab; I've got a lot of work to do. Stay in bed until they tell you that you can leave."

"What if they never let me leave? The nurses love me, Iwa-chan."

How he wished he could throw a book at Oikawa's head.

\---

Hanamaki's pace was even, each step the same length as the one before. He'd been mindlessly drifting around the rain-slicked streets for nearly two hours. The man wasn't going to find Matsukawa just traversing without even knowing what to look for. He wasn't a dog and he couldn't just ask random strangers if they'd seen him.

He should be heading back to the lab and working over one of the holo projectors, searching security and traffic light cameras. One of them had to of spotted Matsukawa. There was no way a person could just vanish without a trace.

Hanamaki was broken from his thoughts by the sound of his phone ringing. He stared blankly at his pocket for a moment before stepping under shelter from the rain.

"Yeah? What do you need?"

!-- Takahiro, you have to come to the hospital right away! --!

His hand tightened against the phone in his hand. "What is it, Hajime? Calm down."

!-- It's Oikawa. He relapsed and they ... they think he's-- --!

"Don't you dare say it, Hajime. I'll be right there," Hanamaki practically snarled. He slammed his phone shut and immediately took off down the wet concrete.

If Oikawa died then all of this would be for nothing.

Watching from a window across the street was Matsukawa, following every step Hanamaki took until he was gone around the corner.

**Author's Note:**

> it's kinda rushed at the end I'm sorry! I have a headache at the time of completing this so ;v; it's probably v confusing but it'll smooth out in the next few chapters I promise! thank you for reading!!


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